Gov. Charlie Crist helped to cut the ceremonial ribbon for the three-story, 100,000-square-foot building, which houses classes and offices for Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ and Valencia.<\/p>\n
Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ and Valencia are cornerstones of the most productive university-community college partnership in the country \u2013 DirectConnect to Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½. Graduates of Valencia and three other area community colleges are guaranteed admission to Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ through the program. Joint advising helps students make the transition to Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ and earn their degrees more quickly.<\/p>\n
Nearly 38,000 Valencia students have enrolled in DirectConnect to Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ since 2006, and more than 16,000 Valencia students enrolled this fall are in the DirectConnect pipeline.<\/p>\n
The new University Center building will enable Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ to offer more classes and programs in West Orlando, expanding opportunities for residents to earn bachelor\u2019s degrees in a convenient, affordable way close to home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opening of this facility is an opportunity to celebrate a powerful and effective partnership,\u201d said Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Provost and Executive Vice President Terry Hickey. \u201cThis relationship continues to evolve to the benefits of both parties and, most importantly, to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n